Briefly Write Poetry Prize 2025

**UPDATE (Nov 2025): Guidelines updated to reflect new expected publication date. So many incredible poems means so many incredibly tough decisions. We read every entry and will reply to every entrant. Thank you for your patience!

It’s back… and bigger than ever before!

Briefly Write Poetry Prize celebrates and rewards bold, succinct writing.

We want well-crafted poems up to 10 lines. We want innovative language, strong imagery and a subtle, focused composition. Send us your best brief writing.

This year, the minimum prize fund is £80. We are committed to accessibility and, as such, entry is free. If you can, we would appreciate any support to help us meet the costs and boost the prize fund.

Please read the full competition guidelines before submitting your poem.

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GUIDELINES

**PLEASE READ ALL THE GUIDELINES. YOUR ENTRY MIGHT BE DISQUALIFIED IF YOU DO NOT FOLLOW THESE (SIMPLE) STEPS**

1. Free to enter.
2. One entry per person.
3. Everyone is welcome to enter, whoever you are and wherever you are in the world.
4. Poems must be original and never previously published (including self-published) online or in print.
5. Please do not submit work that is under consideration elsewhere. Once submitted, your entry cannot be withdrawn.
6. Your poem must be 10 lines or fewer. Your title is not included in this line limit.
7. Only entries made via the online form (link below) will be considered.
8. Entries open 24 May 2025. The closing date is 31 July 2025 @ 23:59 BST. If in doubt about time zones, don’t leave it until the last day to submit!
9. Entries will be judged anonymously. Judges’ decision is final.
10. There is a minimum prize fund of £80. FIRST = £40 / SECOND = £25 / THIRD = £15. All shortlisted poets will also be paid.
11. Prize and shortlisted poems will be published online.
12. Results will be published online by December 2025. If, for any reason, this needs to be changed, we will provide an update on this page. We will contact all entrants before publishing the results online.
13. By entering the Briefly Write Poetry Prize, you are granting us first electronic rights only. Copyright reverts to the author upon publication.
14. If anything isn’t clear, or if you have any problems submitting your entry, send any queries to contact [at] brieflywrite [dot] com. Please do not email your entry.

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In need of inspiration? You can read all 2024’s winning and commended poems here!

We are grateful to have had the chance to read such a diverse array of short poetry. Inevitably, with so many outstanding poems to consider, we had to pass on hundreds that we would have loved to acknowledge. Thank you to everyone who shared their words, stories and little parts of themselves.